To See It Is To Believe It
by bahjcb
Summary: Suprisingly, Chad Dylan Cooper knew what was going on on the So Random! set before the Randoms did. As it didn't involve either him or Sonny, however, he really didn't care.


_A/N or Disclaimer: I came up with this story while driving in my car, __**without**__ air conditioning, in 100+ degree weather. I'm told I got a little loopy, but I'm not so sure. I'm fairly certain my mother is wrong and that my last name __**is **__in fact Disney and I __**do**__ own _SWC…_and now _Marvel—_which means I now own Wolverine and I'm kind of excited about that!_

* * *

Surprisingly, it was Chad Dylan Cooper who saw what was happening first. In fact he knew all about it from the beginning. The fact that it had nothing to do with him or Sonny meant that he dismissed it from his mind as soon as he saw it. Him knowing before her, however, had Sonny feeling a little shocked (well, more like a lot) and like she was a bad friend. She did eventually get over it, but Chad Dylan Cooper noticing anything outside of himseft did tilt her world on its axis.

What Chad saw, however, was something rather innocuous in the beginning. It happened one Thursday afternoon when Sonny was having lunch with her mother, Zora was doing something odd and Zora-like, and Nico was in contract negotiations with his agent. Chad's seat happened to be facing the _So Random! _cast's regular table and he could see Tawni and Grady eating lunch together.

Normally, or ever, Chad wouldn't care what Blondie and Cloudy…or Rainy (he could never remember which was which) was doing but Blondie was begging Cloudy for something and Chad did think that was entertaining at the very least.

Cloudy (or Grady as most people knew him) had gotten invites to a new exclusive L.A. club that an old military buddy of his Dad's had opened. Tawni had found out and **had to go**. Grady wasn't too sure about taking Tawni because he could only bring "a friend" and felt that Nico would probably fit the criteria better than Tawni.

Chad watched in fascination as Tawni promised to owe him. When that didn't work, Tawni actually promised to go to "that monster truck thing" that Nico would usually accompany Grady to but had previous family plans getting in the way. Chad just hoped there would be pictures of them at the monster truck rally in _Tween Weekly_. The mental picture of Blondie covered in mud (they were front row seats) and whatever she thought were "normal people" clothes just made Chad laugh.

Much to Chad's disappointment _Tween Weekly_ never got wind of the blond _Randoms_ activities, but to his surprise, neither did Sonny and the rest of the _Randoms_. In fact, in a weird sort of way, both Tawni and Grady enjoyed their outings together and started to spend time in more prearranged activities together.

Tawni didn't mention it at first because it was Grady she was spending time with. Later, it was so long since she _didn't_ mention it that she had no idea how to say anything. Grady never said anything because he was certain that any mention of quite possibly dating Tawni Hart by him to _anyone_ would get him in major trouble with Tawni and an ending to their prearranged activities.

It probably would have gone on in this vein for sometime (with Chad wondering just how dense the _Randoms_ really were), if it weren't for the fact that Grady got Tawni a personal party with _Connect Three_ for a birthday gift (just how Grady arranged this is a long and involved story which can't be related here but just know that it included an unaware Nico, a troop of chickens, purple hair dye, and skin-tight, leather pants).

Tawni was thrilled, and not just because she thought all three boys were total hotties, threw her arms around Grady's neck and pressed her lips to his. It was a quick kiss, not much longer than the kiss Sonny gave Hayden during the Kiss Cam incident, but there was full length touching and it did happen just as the rest of the _Randoms_ walked into the prop room.

Surprising everyone, most especially herself, Tawni didn't fling herself away from Grady as soon as they were caught, but instead just stayed put and demanded, "What?"

Breaking the shocked silence, Sonny took a step forward and asked, "Tawni, are you and Grady…dating?"

Tawni didn't answer right away. Instead, she looked around at her cast mates and then looked at the stiffly standing and worried looking Grady. Tossing back her hair as only Tawni Hart can, she smirk, "Yes, we are."

"Way to go, dude," Nico quickly congratulated his best friend.

Grady, fairly excited himself, released Tawni to complete a manly, best friend, handshake with Nico.

"We've been dating since the monster truck rally," Grady bragged.

Tawni rolled her eyes in an indulgent fashion as her boyfriend bragged, not that he didn't have reason to. He was dating _her_.

Seeing Tawni acting all tolerant and _caring_, shocked Sonny to the core. While Grady and Nico were doing their guy thing, Sonny grabbed Tawni's hand and drug her back to their shared dressing room.

"Sonny," Tawni protested at being manhandled. "You messed up my hair dragging me like that," she complained while checking herself over in the mirror.

"Are you seriously dating _Grady_? Grady Mitchell? Our cast mate? Nico's best friend?"

"Sonny," Tawni replied, obviously just a little ticked off. "I know who Grady is. And yes, we are dating."

Plopping down on the lounge across from Tawni's make-up table, Sonny asked, "Why?"

"Well," Tawni considered. "We weren't really dating at first. Grady had access to that hot, new club, _The Underground_, and I wanted to go. He would only take me if I went to this monster truck thingy with him the next weekend."

"And you actually went to a monster truck rally with Grady?" Sonny was now more surprised that Tawni went to see monster trucks than anything else.

"Well, I did promise and Grady would have told that I had beg him to take me to _The Underground_ if I didn't and Tawni Hart does **not** beg."

"How…how?"

Understanding what her friend couldn't get out, Tawni replied, "He bought me a gift to say thank you. He also told me I looked pretty covered in mud. I am Tawni Hart so…"

"You look pretty in anything. Got it," Sonny interrupted impatiently. "Go on."

Huffing, Tawni continued, "Well, not all boys have the class to acknowledge that I'm _always_ pretty."

"But, all guys think you're pretty," Sonny protested. "Why did you pick Grady? He's not a movie star, a hotel heir, or a prince."

"Well, he always remembers to tell me I'm pretty. He thinks he's lucky to spend time with me. He buys me gifts and he listens to me."

"You mean he does what you say," Sonny dryly replied. "Like a puppy."

"A puppy with gifts," Tawni happily exclaimed.

"I just can't believe it."

Rolling her eyes, Tawni turned back to her mirror. "It's not any weirder than you and Chad Dylan Cooper dating."

"Chad and I aren't dating," Sonny quickly protested.

"Please," Tawni drawled. "Tell it to someone who hasn't seen your bedroom. Your personally autographed picture of him is on your bedside table."

"There's a picture of you, Lucy, and me there too!"

"4x6. Chad's is an 8x10 and slightly in front of ours." Turning back to her flustered friend with a smug grin, Tawni added, " 'Good. Good. Fine. Fine.' may be a juvenile way of flirting, but it's still flirting. You're not on Chad's do not admit wall, and that's after shoving him into his birthday cake. He got you a legitimate audition for that fashion movie. You two are always finding weird and random reasons to be on each other's sets. Enough proof or do you want me to go on?"

"Huh…ah…phuff," Sonny stammered. "We're not…I mean, we're friends."

"I always take my friends to expensive restaurants on Friday nights, just the two of us. And, where were you last Saturday?" Tawni asked, pretending to think. "Oh, that's right! At the theater with Chad. I remember listening to you gush about the…non-date/friendly outing all day long."

"What?! I so didn't…"

Leaning back in her chair, Tawni added, "What was our last big sketch based on? Oh, that's right, _Mackenzie Falls_. You had just decided to visit Chad on his set and saw the latest with Mackenzie and Chloe and you couldn't figure out why Mackenzie would like a girl that burst into tears every few seconds. You thought Chloe was hilarious and based a whole sketch around her sobbing. A sketch that is now a fan favorite. And, if I remember correctly (which I totally am), Chad actually sat in the audience, _laughing_, because you had been telling him all about the sketch and he wanted to see it for himself."

"I…ah…" Sonny spluttered before she hurried out the door.

Laughing, Tawni shouted after her, "Tell Chad 'Hi' for me."

* * *

Seeing Sonny wander onto his set, Chad grinned and quickly dismissed the woman doing his make-up.

"Hey, Sonny."

"Chad," Sonny replied sounding surprised to see him. Mentally shaking herself, she quickly asked him, "Guess what I just found out? Tawni and Grady are dating! Can you believe that?"

"Who?" he asked, clearly having no clue to who Sonny was talking about. "Wait, do you mean your blond cast mates?"

"You knew?!"

"Of course," Chad answered with a shrug. "They weren't that subtle. They held hands while walking all over Condor Studios."

Seeming to deflate, Sonny asked him, "How could I have **not** noticed? _You_ noticed and I didn't!"

"What can I tell you Sonny Monroe? Maybe I'm not as self-involved as you thought," he said the last part with a teasing grin.

Sonny found herself feeling all weak-kneed upon seeing his grin. Trying not to let Chad realize his effect on her reminded Sonny of Tawni's earlier accusation. Straightening her spine, Sonny quickly threw out, "When I asked why Tawni was dating Grady she said I had no room to ask because we're dating. Can you believe that?" she started to fake laugh.

"I know," Chad very seriously replied. "I'm a much better catch that Cloudy…Rainy…the Other Blond One."

"Chad," Sonny interrupted, explaining things as if he were a small child. "We're not dating."

"Of course we are," he immediately answered back. "We always do things together. You tell me about your day even before you tell your mother."

"I do not…" trailing off at Chad's raised eyebrow, Sonny sheepishly nodded. "Fine, so I came to you first. But, you never _asked_ me to be your girlfriend, Chad."

"Sonny, Sonny, Sonny," Chad tutted, slipping out of his chair and pulling her into his arms. "What are we five? Do you really want me to be as soppy as Mackenzie? I thought you knew. You've asked me out as often as I've asked you."

"Uh…but we haven't really kissed."

"Haven't we, Sonny? Haven't we really?" he asked, hovering his lips just a breath away from hers.

Feeling slightly faint, Sonny muttered, "But, I thought they were just friendly kisses. Thank yous for the lovely evening."

"Oh, Sonny. My naive little Sunshine. Those kisses," Chad whispered, brushing his lips against hers. "Meant so much more than thank yous."

"Oh," she whispered, her eyes falling shut in enjoyment of Chad's ministrations. "Good to know."

Suddenly realizing that she was indeed dating Chad Dylan Cooper, Sonny's eyes popped open as she leaned her head back to look Chad in the eyes and get his attention.

"No more changing our relationship status without informing me Chad. We may not be on _Mackenzie Falls_ but I do actually expect us to talk about the important things."

Grinning, Chad easily agreed. "Don't worry, Sunshine, I won't just plan the wedding and inform you when to show up. You'll get your over-the-top, completely romantic, marriage proposal."

Before Sonny could think about what that meant, let alone saying anything about it, Chad pressed his lips to hers and she forgot to think for quite sometime all together.


End file.
